Malpensa to Milan City Centre: €114 Taxi, €15 Train, Bus

Malpensa is Milan's main airport, about 46 km from the city centre by road. The trip in takes from about 40 minutes by train to over an hour by coach, and the choice is between a fixed-fare taxi, the Malpensa Express, a coach and a pre-booked car.

Taxi: a fixed fare to any street in Milan

Lombardy sets a fixed fare of €114 from Malpensa to any street in Milan, in either direction. It replaces the meter and includes motorway tolls and the night and holiday rates; no supplements may be added. It applies to a direct trip: if you ask for a stop or a change of route, the driver may switch to the meter.

Malpensa Express train

Trenord's Malpensa Express runs from Terminals 1 and 2 to Milano Cadorna and Milano Centrale for €15 a person, with four trains an hour across the two lines. From Terminal 1 it takes 38 minutes to Cadorna and about 54 minutes to Centrale; from Terminal 2 add a few minutes. A return bought online costs €25 and is valid for 30 days. The last train to Cadorna leaves Terminal 1 at 00:26.

Coach to Milano Centrale

Coaches are the cheapest way in: Malpensa Shuttle charges €10 and leaves Terminal 1 every 30 minutes from 04:50 to 01:20, and Terravision fares start at €4 online. Allow 50 to 70 minutes, more in heavy traffic.

Pre-booked transfer

A private transfer was quoted at €128 for a sedan and €169 for a minivan, for an afternoon arrival a week ahead, so a sedan costs more than the taxi. Booked about three weeks ahead, the same ride came to €110. A transfer fixes the price before you fly and the driver waits in arrivals, which helps late at night or with children.

Which should you choose?

For one or two people with light luggage the train is the obvious choice, at €15 each against €114 for the taxi. Three or four people with luggage, or anyone arriving after the last train, will find the fixed-fare taxi simpler, as it goes to the door. A group of five to seven needs two taxis or the minivan transfer.